I 'm Only One by Carol Harrison

 

 

I’m Only One

  I watch the news and hear of pain, see the protests, and escalating conflicts. My heart hurts. I turn off the news and long to bury my head under the covers and pretend or hope it will go away, be resolved, or at least not touch any closer to home. But I know this brokenness exists. I realize people are hurting and need others to stand with them and for them. What can I do? I am only one.

I hear about social issues close to home, people in my community who need so much. Poverty, hungry children, those with mental illness, addictions, or disabilities live here. Their needs are often ignored. They are forgotten for no one wants to understand, offer a helping hand, a listening ear. The marginalized don't seem to have a voice. This breaks my heart. What can I do? I am only one.

Abuse happens even in homes we least likely expect it to. Pornography permeates places we never think it might. Women disappear. Human trafficking doesn’t just happen somewhere else. Fear and shame hover near. Anger and outrage erupts as abuse, disappearances, or extreme anguish and pain surface for others to see. Then my heart aches. What can I do? I am only one.

Racism rears its ugly head over and over; not just in other places but close to home. People need to be seen for who they are – wonderfully made by God, even though many don’t acknowledge that. The need for equality, fairness, and acceptance surround me. My heart cries. What can I do? I am only one.

Countless numbers need to hear the good news of the gospel; the news that God loves them and Jesus took their place on the cross. Some are waiting to hear for the first time. Some are waiting to see this good news shared through actions and attitudes, not words only. They’ve been hurt by too many in the name of Christianity, by those who do not live with the attitudes and actions God desires. Do I share my faith in tangible ways? Do I share it through my words, my actions, my attitudes? My heart sorrows for when I don’t. What can I do?

Too often I allow defeat to render me ineffective for I am only one against so many problems, trials, and injustices. Sometimes I still long to hide away and hope someone else sounds the alarm, walks alongside to help, or rallies others to make a difference. But that is not what God commands in Scripture. I am not only one. I am part of the body of Christ. I am part of humanity.

What can I do? There are many things for each one of us, including me, to do. First I must remain faithful to God's Word. Then I must allow God to help me live His truth everyday even when I don’t understand how to help others in this broken world around me.

Matthew 6: 14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to every one in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

What can I do? I am only one. One little light in a dark and hurting world. Matthew 10: 42 says “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” A cup of water is one little thing. Actively listening to someone’s story and accepting them for who they are and where they are is one little thing. Giving funds or provisions to someone who desperately needs them is one little thing. I can do one small thing at a time, which will touch the life of one person, who in turn can touch someone else. A chain of small things can change the world.

My heart hurts for all the pain and suffering. It breaks for all those misunderstood, unloved, or abused. But what has God placed in my heart to write about, talk about, and take action on when opportunity knocks? Several things pull harder on my heart strings or at least more often. One is inclusion for those with disabilities. What does it really mean to include those who move and learn differently? I am only one but I can speak to this and write about it for I have lived it for years as an advocate for my daughter. What I write about is born from my desire to educate others and encourage them to know the person, see the ability within the disability, and how we all are created by God to be our unique selves.

There are times my heart is heavy, my emotions tear-filled, and darkness threatens to overtake me. Depression has been an issue in my life. As God brought people to walk alongside, counsel, and encourage me, so now my heart pulls me to help and encourage others.

Maybe I hang back because I don’t like conflict. Most hot button issues fan conflict, increase the pain, and make me want to hide instead of being God's light and help to others. My heart still hurts and my conscience pricks when I abdicate doing and not just reading God's commands in the Bible. What can I do? I am only one.

I can live life, with God’s help, as described in Colossians 3: 12–15. It also reminds me I am not alone but part of a group, the body of believers.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you many have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  

What can I do? I am only one, but I serve the God for whom nothing is impossible. I will be faithful to what he asks me to speak or write. I will walk with someone who is hurting instead of hiding under the covers. I am only one but God can use me in ways I can’t imagine, to make a difference for someone else.  Yes, I am only one but Jesus is THE ONLY ONE.

 

 

 Carol Harrison shares her stories of hope and God's faithfulness from her home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her desire is to walk humbly through whatever doors God opens to encourage others in their own journey's and tell them the stories of Jesus.

Lord, Bless the Children--Part 1 by Sharon Espeseth

Jesus with young children
Adobe Stock Free image

Jesus Loves the Little Children

"The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: 'Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very centre of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in. Then gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them. (Mark 10:13-16 The Message).” 

 

Teaching 

For my first year of teaching, I was assigned to teach 24 grade three students in a small three-room school in a small town. I “adopted” these kids and vowed to do the best I could for each of them. Each year, I “adopted” a new batch of kids and committed myself to teaching them to the best of my ability. Knowing I needed more education to meet the varied needs of my students, I continued taking evening and summer classes at the U of A. 

Being single, I had the opportunity to live and teach in different communities in Alberta where I gained experience. My niche became the primary classroom, and maybe reading recovery programs. 

In 1974, I moved from Fort McMurray back to Edmonton, where I could take more courses at U of A. I also taught Resource Room students half-time in Alex Taylor. Teaching in this inner city school with Steve Ramsankar, a nationally recognized educator, as my principal was an amazing adventure. I loved teaching kids to read and to unlock the treasures in written material.

Sharon in the Classroom

Changes in the Status Quo

My return to Edmonton was for only one year, because 1974 was also the year I met Hank. We were married the next summer and Barrhead became my more permanent home. Hank knew I enjoyed teaching and working or spending time with kids. He listened when I told him I longed to have  children of my own. “If for any reason we don’t have children," I added, “I’d like to adopt.” He didn’t walk away.

After 18 months of marriage, we still didn’t have children. Married at 31 years, I may have been impatient. I reminded my  husband about our "pre-nuptial discussion.” When I came home from school the next day, adoption papers were on the table. We filed our application with Social Services in mid-January, 1977.

Adoption

In May of that year, I got a letter from the Department of Social Services saying I'd need to resign from teaching, effective June 30, in order to qualify for adopting an infant. We were surprised. Somebody, and we believe it was God, knew something we didn’t know. 

Realizing I’d be leaving the classroom indefinitely, I got to work with report cards, packing my own teacher files and material, and getting everything in order. On the morning of June 29th, a teacher work day without students, Hank came to school to help me take my “teaching stuff" home. 

When Hank arrived, he told me he had news to tell me, but first he asked for a private place where we coul sit down. I couldn’t read his facial expression. Was he excited? Worried? Sick? We stopped in a small workroom off the hallway. That’s where he told me we were going to be receiving a baby. Not soon, but tomorrow. 

We needed to travel several hours to pick up our first baby, almost newborn, the following morning. Our social worker had previously advised us not to buy baby things ahead of time as we wouldn’t know the size or the gender of the baby until we got the call. After a quick shopping scramble and a friend’s promise of a shower within a few days, we were on the road travelling south.

Arrival after Arrival after Arrival

Next day, we were bringing our first child, Michael, home less than six months after submitting our adoption application  His arrival caused quite a stir for us and among our family and friends. In fact, when we got home to Barrhead, the Espeseth’s had started arriving for a July 1 family reunion. Guess who was the star of that show? 

One year later, Christie, also just weeks old, joined our family without the family reunion, but with equal fanfare. She was introduced to the Augustson family at a picnic in Red Deer. Jennifer was almost six months when we were called away to receive her--our third child--into the family. The enthusiasm of Jenny’s older siblings only increased the hubbub of her arrival at Betty and Leon’s, where they waited for their new sister.

Within two years and two months from our first application, Hank and I had become the parents of three young children. God had listened to my longtime prayer, which was now our prayer, to have children of our own. 

Backyard picnic with 3 muskateers

Hank and I were ecstatic. Then came the first day Hank went back to work and I realized exactly how busy I would be. Within a week, we were moving to our new house, which would be more suitable for all of us. 

As imperfect and ordinary as we were, we had been chosen to be the parents of Michael, Christie and Jennifer. They kept us busy, but they were so much fun. Adding our three children to the family, my dad had a constant supply of new stories about his grandchildren.

Grandpa lots of stories about the grandkids

Just as God had knit each of these babies together in their respective mothers’ wombs, we believed He would give us the wisdom and grace to parent our three children. He knit the five of us together into a family.

Knit together as a family
Children are Christie, Jenny and Michael

Our Gratitude Together with Our Concerns for the Birth Mothers

Decades later, we are still grateful to these three young women, really teen at that time. Each of them had tough decisions to make when facing an unplanned and, what must have seemed an untimely, pregnancy. Each mother in her own words wrote that she wasn’t ready for the responsibility of parenting then, due to school and other concerns. For her child, each birth mother wanted a loving family with two parents who were more ready for parenting.

Hank and I and the extended family are especially thankful these three birth mothers didn’t choose abortion as a solution to an “inconvenient” pregnancy. Yes, for our sakes, we are grateful that we have the three children who were entrusted to our care. But we also realize that, but for the grace of God and the three women, our children might not have been given the gift of life. Hank and I are also thankful for the mothers themselves that they didn’t suffer the aftermath of abortion.

One of My Passions Is the Life and Well-being of Children

As Christian, most of us agree that every stage of life--from the womb to the tomb--is important. Pro-life is a personal and spiritual view for me, rather than a political one. Many times I’ve asked myself the Micah question. “. . . What does the Lord require of me? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with (my) God (Micah 6:8 NIV). 

I believe pro-life means all of the above. Saving unborn children is important, but acting justly in all our endeavours, being loving and merciful, and walking humbly with God also counts. 

Whose Children Are They?

“The children we have are never really ours. They are given to us, in trust, for a time, a short time really, and we are asked to be mothers and fathers, mentors guardians, teachers, priests, ministers and friends to them, but they are never really our children. They belong to somebody else, God, and to themselves more than they ever belong to us.”

                            Quote from Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s column “In Exile” in The Catholic Register, 2006

To be continued. . .

A Time to Speak by Steph Beth Nickel

Politics. Racial tension. Religion.

You likely have strong feelings about one, if not all, of these issues. 

But before jumping into the fray, it’s important to remember what the Lord says in His Word.

In Ecclesiastes 3:7, it says there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (ESV).

Now, does that mean we shouldn’t care about these and other important issues? Does it mean we should bury our head in the sand? Does it mean we should go about our day-to-day as if nothing life-changing is happening? Of course not.

It does mean, however, that it’s important to prayerfully research the topic and ask the Lord how He wants us to get involved. The key to making long-term change is to respond, not react.

Before We Become Involved

Prayer – As believers, we should never underestimate the impact prayer can have. It has the potential to change us, those closest to us—and the world.

Research – While social media does play an important role in 21st century life, it can also ignite the fire, fan the flames, and burn our sanity to the ground. (Okay, so I may have taken the analogy a little too far, but you get the idea.) It’s important to learn from reliable, trusted sources—and not just those that support our point of view. Too much contradictory information can confuse us, but only listening to those who agree with us isn’t the answer either.

Discover – There are many ways to get involved in “hot button” topics. The more we research these issues, the more likely it is we will discover one or two that deeply resonate with us.

Prioritize – Each of us can only keep so many plates spinning at any given time. We must honestly examine our life and see what responsibilities and downtime activities we have to back away from or quit altogether if we’re going to devote a significant amount of time to a new focus.

Trust – When we ask the Lord for wisdom, He promises to give it. We can trust that He will guide our steps.

How to Become Involved

More Prayer – We ought to seek the Lord every step of the way.

There are various levels of commitment required, depending on how involved we want to become … 

Comment on posts we agree with and those we don’t. This may require a minimal amount of time—or it could draw us into lengthy, emotional debates. We may even lose friends in the process. It’s important to proceed with caution.

Link to resources we believe would be helpful for our social media friends and followers to investigate. If the discussion gets heated, we have the opportunity to diffuse the situation—or ban certain commenters. Not all those who respond have to agree with us or like the resources we’ve directed them to, but it is important that they be respectful of those whose views are different than theirs. 

Write blog posts, articles, and books. The more strongly we feel about a topic, the more important we feel it is, the more likely we are to write or speak about it. We must weigh our current priorities, our long-term goals, and what we believe God is calling us to. Obviously, if we decide to write a book on the topic, it will take far longer than if we write a blog post or an article.

What topics are especially important to you? 

How are you getting involved?

Stand Firm In His Teachings by Vickie Stam

My father is a French-Canadian and my mother was a First Nations Mohawk. The Oka Crisis in Ontario in 1990 brought something to their home that I had never witnessed growing up - a house divided by a particular people. 

Oka - cbc.ca

                                             

I was raised without a cultural divide. There were no face-offs; no boundaries that separated us from other people. I was free to build a relationship with everyone. Marry the person I love. Love being the operative word - not ruled by physical or social qualities. 

The Oka land dispute between the Mohawk people and the town of Quebec was the first well publicized violent conflict between First Nations and the Canadian government. It also became the first cultural battle my parents faced inside their home. Freedom of speech was no longer invited. Opinions were met with retaliation and anger. Silence almost always followed. Thankfully, their marriage survived that war.

Why do we take sides during a dispute? -- People sometimes have a habit of getting involved in disputes that don't directly involve them.

Are we driven by the media? -- The number of people affected by a story makes us feel that it's important. 

Are we hypervigilant about the issues regarding this world? -- Human interest stories get our attention. But we must do our homework.

Do we join forces with people we shouldn't? -- Beware of Satan's presence. 

What impacts our decision to take a stand? -- The tendency during any crisis is to become all consumed by it. Make sure you recognize God's voice in it.

We must remind ourselves that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. While our nation is under attack in so many ways right now, we as Christian's need to be careful how we react. 

It pains me when I see a Christian organization splitting hairs over the mere mention of 'God' because it might offend someone. More often than not, we fear saying the wrong thing or making an inappropriate comment. We need to proclaim God's word without fear or shame. 

In this world of chaos I just like spending time writing letters to encourage people who suffer from depression as well as writing letters to our sponsor child through Compassion Canada. I enjoy cooking meals with a community of believers who put their love for Jesus into action by sharing what we have with people in need. I want to help wherever I can.

I want to make wise decisions in the middle of a strong and violent change.  

I want Jesus presence to not be silenced.  

I want to be a light in the world, standing firm in His teachings and doing something good.